I must be reading completely different sorts of fantasy, then... oh yeah, that's right, it's YA fiction . Nuthin' grubby going on there. Good YA fantasy authors include Maggie Stievater (Shiver, Lament, etc), and Holly Black (White Cat, Tithe). I also enjoyed Gregory Maguire's books, based on fairy stories, like Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Mirror, Mirror and Lost. Hmmm it was a while back that I read them but I don't remember any weird stuff going down in those.
Have you read Maquire's Wicked....?